Goodbye For Now
by Usami
Summary: /Sequel to 'And Time Continues'/ A few months after Marron's death, Trunks and Goten find that their friendship isn't as stable as they thought. As the anger spreads to their families, can they save their friendship in time?
1. Prologue

**Goodbye For Now, My Friend**

Trunks laughed as he sped ahead of Goten, slipping just out of his friend's reach. The lavender-haired youth jumped up and hopped from treetop to treetop, looking back occasionally to see if Goten was still following. He still was. Trunks hopped down into a clearing, and started sprinting as soon as his feet touched the ground. When he saw the black-haired boy land, Trunks slowed down a little so Goten could catch up. Just as Goten was about to tag Trunks, Trunks sped up again, well out of his reach.

Goten, tired of being "it", decided to change that. His black hair began to stand on end as it turned gold, and his black eyes became a greenish hue. Light swirled around his body, and his sped increased as he charged at Trunks.

Trunks sensed Goten's increase in power and looked behind to see a golden swirl of light charging toward him like a comet. Trunks copied Goten as he transformed into a Super Saiyan and sped away from the attack.

Goten continued to follow Trunks as he flew upwards into the air. Goten lifted his hand up and was about to send an attack, but Trunks phased out of sight.

The boy paused, placing his hand at his side. _Where did he go? _were his only thoughts, as he looked around for his Saiyan companion. Unaware, Trunks phased back right behind him, and only felt the impact of Trunks' fist colliding into his head. He fell rapidly towards the ground, but at the last minute, used his surrounding energy as a cushion, to avoid heavy impact.

Goten looked up at Trunks, and saw his friend with his arms folded across his chest, and a smirk on his face, an imitation of his father, Vegeta. "What'd you do that for, Trunks?" the seven-year-old asked angrily. "I thought we were playin' tag."

Trunks' smirk shifted into a Vegeta-like scowl. "You know very well that if one of us decides to go Super Saiyan, all other games are over. We agreed that if one of us decides to transform, we start playing this game."

Goten rubbed the back of his head. "I don't remember agreeing to that," he argued.

The eight-year-old landed in front of his friend. "Of course you don't," he said. "We agreed to that a few years ago. I'm not surprised. You never were good at remembering things."

"Yeah. My mom said that I take after my dad, 'cause he's not very good at remembering things either."

"My dad said pretty much the same thing. I don't think my dad likes your dad very much."

Goten stood up, dusting himself off. "Gohan said it's because my dad beat your dad sometime ago, before you and I were born."

Trunks scoffed, turning his head slightly away. "I don't believe that at all."

"It's true," Goten said. "Gohan said that Dad was able to beat Vegeta, and that Dad became a Super Saiyan before Vegeta, and that's why your dad doesn't like my dad."

Trunks smirked. "Be that as it may," he said, "I can still beat you in everything."

Goten looked annoyed. "No you can't, Trunks."

"Sure I can. I beat you in the tournament, didn't I?"

"You cheated!"

"I did not. I beat you then, and I can beat you now."

"You turned Super Saiyan, and you fired a cheap shot. That's how you won."

Trunks powered up, his energy swirling around him like a golden tornado. "Really?" he asked harshly. "Let's see if you're right."

Goten powered up, bring his energy as high as it can go. The two stood still, locked in a classic stare down, waiting for the other to make the first move. Suddenly, Trunks phased out of his sight, leaving a bewildered Goten opened for an attack. Goten tried to sense Trunks' presence, and aimed a punch to his left side. His fist went right through what he thought was Trunks. Instead, it was just an afterimage.

Goten ducked just in time, as Trunks aimed a kick to his head. The lavender-haired youth landed several feet in front of Goten, but quickly pivoted and charged at the younger boy. Goten barely had time to block Trunks' fist before it made contact with his face. The son of Vegeta brought his knee up into Goten's stomach, and the younger boy doubled over in pain. Trunks jumped up in the air as he fell forward, just barely able to stay on his hands and knees.

Goten turned his head to look at Trunks floating in the air, fury etched on his face. He used his hands to spring up into the air, turning his body to face the other boy. This time, Trunks charged, bring his fist up to ram into Goten's torso. The younger boy phased out of sight, but Trunks stayed in the position as if he were frozen. He phased out when Goten tried to hit him in the back with his elbow a split second later. The son of Son Goku phased out again when Trunks aimed a kick for his head.

When Goten aimed a punch at Trunks, he simply blocked and flew farther away from the younger boy. Goten powered up more, then fired a ki blast at Trunks. Surprised, the eight-year-old countered it with one of his own.

When the dust cleared, the lavender-haired youth glared at Goten. "What was that?" Trunks yelled. "You know we aren't supposed to use ki blast anymore. Not since we almost blew up your house a few months ago."

Goten smirked. "What's the matter, Trunks?" he asked. "Afraid to?"

"No," Trunks said defendantly. "It's just that your dad said we shouldn't use ki blasts around your house unless it's serious."

Goten lowered his head a little. "Well," he said darkly, "time to get serious." Trunks moved back a bit. He wasn't sure what Goten was going to do now that he was getting angrier.

In a flash, Trunks and Goten were locked in serious combat. To the human eye, there was nothing in the sky but two balls of light, circling around each other, clashing into one another, then spread out again, circling. The two demi-Saiyans fists crashed into

their faces before the boys flew back. They both flew back, then each of them fired a ki blast, expecting the balls of energy to collide with each other. To their surprise, the blasts were deflected and ricochet back towards them, a third beam heading straight upward. The boys flew downwards to avoid being hit by their own attacks.

Trunks and Goten landed on the ground, were Goku waited for them patiently.

"I thought I told you two that you weren't supposed to use ki blasts unless it was something important," Goku said.

"Don't look at me," Trunks said. "It was Goten's idea this time, I swear."

Goku looked at his youngest son. "Goten?"

Goten looked at the ground angrily. "It was nothing. I just got a little carried away, that's all."

Goku looked at his son skeptically, not believing the younger boy's lie at all. He looked at Goten, then at Trunks, and back at Goten. Shaking his head, he bent down to look at Goten eye to eye. "The problem won't go away if you don't talk about it Goten," Goku said softly. "Have you said anything to him about it?"

Goten scoffed. "Like he'll listen." Trunks looked up, wonder exactly who the two Sons were talking about.

Goku shrugged. "Never know 'til you try, Goten. Give it a shot." Then he stood up and flew off.

Trunks looked at Goten. "Who was your dad talking about?" he asked his younger companion.

Goten didn't look directly at Trunks. "You."

"Me? What about me?"

"I started using ki attacks because I was getting mad at you."

"Why?"

"You kept saying how you were better than me at stuff, and I was getting tired of it. I guess I just wanted you to stop."

Trunks sighed. "Then why didn't you just tell me to stop?"

"'Cuz you never listen."

"Sorry Goten. Maybe I got carried away with the boasting."

Goten nodded. He looked up. "Yeah, but you're right on some points. I still can never beat you."

"Yeah, but you try hard enough." He held out his hand to Goten. "Friends?"

Goten took hold of Trunks' hand. "Friends."

_TBC _


	2. 28 years later

* * *

Trunks looked at his watch, impatiently, waiting for his son to walk through the school gates. It was 3:30, and Trunks needed to get to a meeting pretty soon. But he had promised his son, Polo, that he would pick him up after school. Trunks looked at his watch again, tapping his foot.

"Dad!" Trunks looked up and saw his son, a blond copy of himself, with a Goten copy tagging after him.

"Hi, Polo," Trunks said. He looked at the black-haired boy standing beside his son. "Hi Gozen."

"Hi Uncle Trunks," Gozen said happily. "Have you seen my dad today?"

"Actually, Gozen, I'm picking the both of you up today, so I can take you guys to the park. Goten is waiting for you guys there. He's going to watch over you guys while I'm at a meeting."

"Aw, Dad," Polo whined. "You said you'd take us to the zoo today."

Trunks bent down and placed his hand on the boy's head. "I know, Polo. But this meeting came up suddenly, and you know how your grandma gets when I don't go to one of those. When I'm finished, Goten and I will take you both to the zoo."

Polo made a face. "Do I have to be the president when I grow up?"

"Unfortunately, yes, you do. It's the family fortune and curse, but we have to keep it up."

"Did Great-grandfather really start it?"

"Yes, Polo, he did. But that's a story for later. Now in the car, or I'll be late." He opened the door for the boys to get in, then got into the driver's seat. The boys talked about various things at school with Trunks, and asked for his advise every once in a while.

"So what are you going to do about Reiya?" Gozen asked Polo.

Trunks looked at them through the review mirror. "Who's Reiya?" he asked.

"It's this girl in my class," Polo said. "She moved here about two months ago."

"I see. What about her?"

"She keeps following me around. She annoys me so much. She never leaves me alone. I don't know how to make her stop. But that's not the worst part."

"What's the worst part?" Trunks asked.

"The worst part is...I kinda like it."

Trunks shook his head. "Sounds like you like her."

Polo stuck out his tongue. "No way!" he shouted. "She's a girl! She has cooties."

Trunks laughed. "You say she follows you around?"

Gozen nodded. "Yeah. At lunch today, Polo and I were sitting with some of our other friends when she came over and sat at our table. We told her to leave, but she wouldn't go away."

"We even tease her and stuff, and it works for a while, but she always comes back," Polo said.

"Sounds like when Marron and I were kids," Trunks said.

"You and Mommy used to do that too, dad?" Polo asked.

"Yup. She would follow me and Goten around forever, even though we told her not to. Then we would tease her, make her cry and stuff, but she would always come back to bother us."

"Then why did you and Mommy get married?"

"Let's discuss it when you're a little older, okay Polo?"

"Why?"

"It's hard to explain until you learn a little more about life."

Polo pulled himself from the backseat to the front so he could see his father's expression. "But you loved her, didn't you Daddy? Mommy used to tell me that there was a special bond between the both of you that brought you guys closer together. She said even though you were mean to her when you guys were younger, she knew you still loved her. You loved her then, didn't you?"

Trunks nodded. "I still do love her, even if she's not here."

"I do too," Polo said sadly. "Sometimes I feel her here," he said, pointing to his heart. Trunks smiled. Marron had passed away six months ago, dying in the hospital after a terrible car crash, in a cab driven by a drunk driver. It's been a hard six months, but Trunks and Polo managed to pull through.

Trunks parked the car at the entrance of the park. He had barely turned the engine off before the two boys opened the door and ran out. Trunks locked the car and ran after them, hoping Goten would be easy to find.

After about 15 minutes of searching for the second son of Son Goku, the two boys found Goten at a hot dog vendor's stand, munching on a few dozen hot dogs.

"Hi," Goten muffled between bites. He swallowed. "Where have you guys been? I've been waiting for you guys forever."

"We've been looking for you," Trunks said. "I told you to wait for us at the entrance of the park."

"Well, I was, but I got hungry, so I went to look for some food."

Trunks sighed. "You could at least call and tell me where you'll be so we don't have to look for you. I'm going to be late for this meeting, and Mom will kill me."

Goten looked agitated. "Sorry, but I got hungry. I need to eat, ya know?"

Trunks smirked. "Can't wait a few minutes, can you?"

"I was hungry!"

"Alright, okay. Don't worry about it. I'll weasel out of it somehow."

"Sorry 'bout making you late, Trunks."

"It's fine. But I gotta go now, and I'll meet up with you guys later." Trunks bent down to look at his son. "I'll be back after the meeting, okay Polo?"

"Promise you'll be here right after the meeting?"

Trunks kissed the boy's forehead. "Promise." He stood up and ran to the car to get to his meeting.

_TBC_


	3. Later that day

* * *

"So how was the meeting?" Goten asked Trunks as the two dads walked behind their excited sons at the zoo.

"Same as always," Trunks said. "Boring."

"Glad I'm not you." Goten laughed as Trunks gently punched his shoulder. "What? You're a high corporate president with a boring desk job. Fun for all."

"It's not easy. But it has to be done. Capsule Corp. has been part of my family for..."

"For three generations," Goten said, cutting his friend of, "and when Polo grows older, he will continue the Briefs tradition of running the company. Yeah, yeah, I know. You've only told me a thousand times."

"Well," Trunks said sarcastically, "at least I didn't have to tell you for the thousandth and one time." Goten shook his head, grinning.

They finally caught up to the two boys as they stopped to look at the lions.

Polo pulled out a notebook and pen from his backpack and began jotting down notes. Trunks' curiosity got the better of him, and he asked, "What are you doing, Polo?"

"It's a project for school, Daddy," Polo said, only looking up to look at the lion. "We need to look for different kinds of animals and find some way to present it to the others in the class."

"So how are you going to present your information?" Goten asked.

"I'm getting facts and drawing pictures and making a college."

Trunks looked a bit confused, then said, "Do you mean a 'collage' Polo?"

"Huh?" Polo said, looking at his father. "Well, maybe. What's the difference?"

"A 'collage' is a bunch of stuff, like pictures, put together to create something. A 'college' is a type of school."

"Oh. I think I meant 'collage.'"

"Yeah, I think so, too. So are you doing all different kinds of animals, or a certain animal, or what?" Trunks asked.

"We're doing certain groups of animals. I'm doing the cat family, from tigers to house cats."

Gozen nodded. "The school is doing it for some kind of fundraiser to help animals in danger."

"Endangered animals, Gozen," Goten said. "It means animals that might become extinct if people aren't careful."

"Right," Gozen said. "People are supposed to come and pay money to come in. They get to look at our presentations, watch plays, and stuff. Then they could make a donation if they want to, and they could buy food and stuff. But all the money goes to helping endangered animals."

"That's a very cool idea," Goten said, nodding. "Did the school come up with this?"

The boys shook their heads. "When the teachers showed us about endangered animals in the auditorium, the students decided to do something to help," Polo said.

Trunks nodded approvingly. "That's really cool."

Gozen piped up, "Polo and I were the ones who told the teachers what the students wanted to do. Nobody else would do it."

"I'm proud of you guys," Goten said.

Polo and Gozen puffed up their chests proudly. "We thought it was a good idea, too. And we weren't afraid to do it."

"Not even a little?" Trunks asked.

"Well...maybe I was," Gozen said sheepishly, but a scowl replaced it quickly, "but only a little."

Goten picked up his son to give him a piggyback ride. "I'm sure you were. I might have been, too, if I were you." Goten walked ahead of Trunks and Polo as the blond boy put his notebook and pen away. Trunks waited for him to finish.

"Daddy?" Polo said.

"What is it, son?"

"I was talking to my teacher, who used to be a sociologist, and I was talking about you and Uncle Goten."

"How'd you come across that topic?"

"Well, I feel more comfortable with him than any other teacher on campus, and he knew I was your son, and he knew who you were..."

"Figures," Trunks said, slightly annoyed.

"...And I was talking to him about Uncle Goten, and he said something that I didn't really understand."

"What did he say?"

"Well, I told him that you and Uncle Goten had been best friends for a long time."

"And...?"

"Um...he asked me how long you and Uncle Goten had been friends, and I told him over twenty years. That's when he told me that all friends eventually...um..."

"Eventually what, Polo?"

"Eventually lose... 'the special bond that kept the relationship together.' That's what he told me. What did he mean by that, Daddy?"

Trunks picked up his son and placed the boy on his shoulders. "He's saying that someday, best friends will stop being friends."

"Why?"

"Something happens to their relationship, and they just end up not as close as they used to be. There might be a disagreement between friends or maybe they might not have anything in common anymore, and their friendship just fades away."

"But why would something like that happen, Daddy? Why would best friends just not be friends anymore?"

"People change, Polo." Trunks walked to catch up with Goten. "People's way of thinking and their opinions change, as does their interests and likes and dislikes. It might steer best friends down two very different roads, instead of the similar one they were on before. The bond between them just kind of fades away, and might eventually disappear, and they stop being friends."

"Do you think that will happen to you and Uncle Goten?"

"I dunno. It hasn't happened yet."

"But my teacher said that it happens to everyone eventually."

"Well, I don't know. And what kind of sociologist teaches a bunch of second graders, anyway?"

"Oh, he used to teach at some college, but he said he liked little kids better."

"Ah. Is he old?"

"Not really. He has white hair, but he says it's naturally like that."

"I see. How old is he?"

"I dunno."

"What's his name?"

"Mr...um...Kyagou."

"Kyagou?" Trunks said. "Do you know his first name?"

"Um...Michael?"

Trunks almost tripped. "Michael Kyagou? He's your teacher? My gosh."

"You know him Daddy?"

Goten walked over to Trunks, with Gozen still on his back. "What's the hold up, Trunks? What's taking you so long?"

"Polo was just telling me about his teacher...Michael Kyagou."

"Kyagou? He's teaching elementary now? Weird."

Gozen looked at Polo, then said, "How do you know 'bout Mr. Kyagou.?"

"He was a teacher when Goten and I were in college," Trunks said. "He taught both of us at some point."

"But Gramma said that you and Uncle Trunks never went to the same high school or college," Gozen told his daddy.

"That's right," Goten said. "Kyagou went from college to college, teaching here one year, teaching there next year. He never stayed at one college for more than a year."

Trunks looked up at Polo. "You said you like talking to him, didn't you Polo?"

"Yeah," Polo said happily. "I feel really comfortable talking with him."

Trunks smiled. "I did too. He was my best teacher friend. Really fun to talk to." Polo nodded.

"Daddy?" Gozen said. "If you and Uncle Trunks didn't go to the same school ever, why are me and Polo going to the same school?"

"Trunks and I thought that it would be better if you guys go to the same school, since you're both best friends and all," Goten replied.

"But why didn't Gramma and Aunt Chi Chi put you guys in the same school since you both were best friends?" Polo inquired.

"Well," Trunks said. "I guess they didn't trust us. When we were your ages, and we were together, trouble was like a third member of our group. I guess they thought that if Goten and I were put in the same school, it would be gone by the end of the first month."

"Gramma said that you guys were a lot of trouble when you were our ages," Gozen said.

Goten and Trunks began walking down the path that led to the monkeys. "That's right," Trunks said smugly. "Like I said, when Goten and I were together, trouble followed. We played pranks, goofed off, and basically were a pain in the ass to everyone."

Goten laughed. "Yeah, we had fun. But most of the time, the pranks and stuff were Trunks' idea."

Trunks nodded. "That's right. I had to do something with my bigger-than-average brain. Besides, it was fun."

Polo looked up, then cried out, "Look Daddy! Monkeys."

Trunk, Goten, and Gozen looked ahead of them and saw the different cages with the different monkeys. "Do we really turn into a giant monkey if we look at a full moon, Dad?" Gozen asked. "Uncle Vegeta said we do."

"Well, we can, but only if we have tails," Goten said. "Good thing we don't, or else there would be no more Earth."

"Is it true that you grew up with no moon?" Polo said.

"Yeah," Trunks said. "It was destroyed way before Goten and I were born."

"Why?" Gozen asked.

"Well," Goten said. "Your Uncle Gohan used to have a tail, and there was a full moon when he was younger. He looked at it, and transformed. Piccolo, a Namekian, had to destroy it so Gohan would turn back to normal."

"Uncle Gohan told me about Piccolo. And how Piccolo died. And how we have a moon now."

"Gohan was really sad when Piccolo died. But I'm kinda surprised that he told you guys how we got a moon."

"He said we had to learn how we had a moon before we could understand how Piccolo died," Polo said. "So he told us about Beibi and how he wished for that planet that's our moon now.

"Is that one way that best friends lose that bond, Daddy? If one dies?" Polo asked.

"Well, kinda, but not really, since they were friends even if one of them died. The only way people wouldn't be friends if a person died would be if the other person forgets about them."

"What are you talking about?" Goten asked.

"Polo was talking to Kyagou, and he said that friends lose their bond that made them friends in the beginning. Polo was just asking me how that happens."

"Oh. Yeah, people tend to do that, huh? After a while of being pals, they just take off in different directions. It's good it they both decided to go separately, but if they had an argument and stop talking to each other, then that's a bad thing."

Trunks nodded. "And it's worse if it's over a little thing, too. Then two people who were best friends would be throwing a great relationship over something stupid."

"Yeah, that would be a really sad thing."

_TBC_


	4. During the week

* * *

Goten ducked just in time to avoid Trunks' fist. He grabbed the attacking fist and pulled it forward, dragging the owner along. Still holding Trunks' fist, Goten placed his free hand on his chest as he lifted the son of Vegeta over his head and tossed him up. Trunks hurtled through the air, stopping only after crashing into a tree, falling to the ground. He flipped in the air, however, and landed gracefully on his feet.

Goten charged towards his companion, his fists raised to attack. He aimed at Trunks' face, but the lavender-haired Saiyan caught it with his own hand. The son of Goku tried again with his free fist, but Trunks grabbed it with his other hand. Both men transformed into Super Saiyans, as their hair turned upward in a golden flash, and their eyes turned the familiar green. Their ki pushed each other back, and they stood in a classic face-off, feeling each other out, planning their attacks.

Trunks charged at the other, and Goten prepared to defend himself. To his surprise, the lavender-haired Saiyan disappeared from sight. Goten knew what Trunks was capable of doing, and he knew he had to keep his guard up.

Something in his mind clicked, and he looked up to see a white ki attack race towards him. Goten jumped up to avoid the blast, only to come face to face with his missing fighting partner. Trunks brought his fists up and rammed them into Goten's head, and he plummeted to the ground. Copying Trunks' tactic, he did a series of flips to prevent such a heavy collision with the Earth. He landed on his hand and knee, leaving a small dent in the ground under him.

He placed his hands at his right side, right over left, and prepared to do the Sons' most famous and common ki attack. As a boy, he wasn't allowed to use ki blasts when he and Trunks were training, in fear of destroying the house. Now that they were older, however, they could control where the blasts were heading, and could move them if needed to.

"KA...ME...," he said, as white energy began forming in his hands. "...HA...ME..." the attack had become the size of a large bowling ball, and more energy was being gathered within his body. When it was big enough, he brought his hands in front of him, aiming the blast at Trunks. "HA!" he cried out, and the energy left his hands in a beam formation, flying at rapid speed towards the lavender-haired Saiyan.

Trunks powered up, his energy swirling around him like a golden aura. Then he placed his hands in front of him and white energy appeared, as he fired it to counter with Goten's attack. The blasts collided with each other in a flash of light, igniting each other off.

Dust was scattered everywhere, causing a cloud that prevented Goten from seeing Trunks had moved from where he was. It wasn't until the dust settled that Goten discovered Trunks missing again.

"Looking for me?" he heard a voice say behind him. Goten turned around swiftly, but Trunks' fist connected with his head, and he flew back. His feet dragged in the dirt, slowing him down and stopping him from going to far back.

Goten straightened up, slightly winded, though he could tell that Trunks was also. They had been training for a few hours already, but since they didn't train very often, they weren't as good as when they were kids. When they were little, they could go for much longer without pausing.

He felt blood trickle down the side of his mouth. He wiped it away with the back of his hand, looking how bad Trunks was roughed up. There were no serious injuries, just a few small and bloody cuts and scratches, just as he had.

"You're doing a lot better than I thought you would, Goten," Trunks said suddenly. It was the first few words that had been said for the past hour.

"I'm sure I could say the same for you," Goten replied.

"Oh, I can do better. I'm not close to my maximum yet."

"You're not?" Goten looked confused. He and Trunks were almost the same in strength and power. He himself was almost at his maximum, but Trunks had just said that he wasn't close to his yet. "Whaddya mean, Trunks?"

"Oh, that's right. I haven't told you yet. In fact," Trunks said thoughtfully, "I don't think anyone knows yet, except my dad. Since I don't train very often, I guess I kinda forgot about it until today."

"Forgot about what?" Goten whined childishly. "I wanna know."

"Alright, alright. Geez, don't throw a tantrum, Goten. 'Kay, here goes." Trunks' ki increased as he powered up to his maximum. Goten noted the differences between his and Trunks' ki, and he knew that Trunks had indeed increased his power somehow. He was shocked, though, when Trunks' golden hair became a little longer as his power reached the top. Sparks of lightning shot around him, and his aura of ki extended around him.

"Super Saiyan 2?" Goten asked astounded. "Since when, Trunks?"

"A few months back," Trunks responded, as he walked to a cooler behind a tree and pulled out two bottles of water. He tossed one to Goten, and twisted the cap off the other one. He gulped down some water, then said, "It was sometime after Marron died, and I guess I was feeling angry at myself then or something."

"Trunks, it wasn't your fault that Marron died."

"I know that now, but when it happened I felt that if I had agreed to get that necklace for her, she would still be alive. I felt so angry at myself, and I felt that by losing Marron, I might lose everyone I care about, and I wouldn't be able to protect them because I wasn't strong enough.

"That's why I was training so hard after Marron died. Remember Goten?"

Goten nodded. After Marron died, Trunks started training more than even Vegeta was, which was weird for everyone.

"I trained so much because I felt I was too weak, and that since I wasn't able to protect Marron, I needed to protect everyone else. But I wasn't pleased with my capabilities, and I was angry at myself, and one night, after I left the house to train for a while, it snapped."

"And you never told me?" Goten said with a fake sadness in his voice. "Trunks, I'm hurt."

Trunks laughed. "Sorry Goten," he said, "but after Marron's funeral, and things went back to normal for me, I didn't train so often, and I kinda forgot. In fact, I think this is my first serious training session in two months."

Goten then became a little worried. "You're not gonna fight me like that, are you?"

Trunks was a bit confused, then understood why Goten was worried and chuckled. "What's wrong, Goten? Can't handle it?"

"You know very well that I can't," Goten said harshly. "I could never beat you when we both were almost at the same level! And now since you're a whole level higher than I am, what's the point?"

"Oh, come on," Trunks said. "Your dad never passed up the opportunity to fight someone stronger than he was, and he was fighting for his life."

"Yeah, well, I'm not my dad, and I'm not fighting against a villain, I'm training with you. Trunks, it's not fair. I've never been as strong as you, and now that you're Super Saiyan 2, I wouldn't have a chance."

"It's not like the two levels are really that different," Trunks argued. "This level is only a little bit more powerful than the level you're in."

"But you were only _a little _bit stronger than I was, and you _still _always beat me," Goten said. "That little bit is now added with the little bit of strength that you have now that you're Super Saiyan 2!"

"Don't whine, don't whine," Trunks said. "Man, you sound like a little kid."

"But it's still not a fair thing, Trunks. I mean, I don't think I can handle fighting you if you stay at that level."

"Oh, Goten, come on. I promise not to go too hard on you. I just wanna try this form out. I haven't had a chance to fight like this before."

"Then why don't you ask Gohan? Or Vegeta? Dad used to say it's not worth it if you don't fight someone stronger than you."

"I've asked Gohan to train with me, and he said he didn't have time or something like that. And you know my dad. He'd slaughter me."

"Well, you're gonna kill me. What am I supposed to do against you?"

"Listen, I'll make you a deal. Fight me while I'm in Super Saiyan 2, and I'll go easy on you. I won't do any ki attacks at all, but you can. Deal?"

Goten thought about it. It sounded okay, and he was allowed to use ki attacks while Trunks couldn't. "You promise to lay off if I say so?"

Trunks nodded. "I'll power down, and change back when you want to stop the training session."

Goten nodded. If Trunks promised he would, he thought maybe it would be alright. And beside, he was half Saiyan, and Saiyans loved to fight people who were stronger than themselves. He was beginning to feel excited about the fight, even though he knew it was instinctive.

"Okay, I'll fight you. But you remember what you promised."

"Right, right. I promise." Trunks powered up, as did Goten. They both reached their maximum level, which Goten noticed was very different now, since Trunks was a level above him. But maybe if he could use big ki attacks, he would have a slight advantage over the son of Vegeta, or maybe not.

He shrugged it off, trying to think of a way to outsmart the stronger Saiyan. Thinking was never a strong point for Goten, being the son of Son Goku after all. It didn't help that Trunks was also the son of a genius, Bulma Briefs. With his mother's intellect and his father's Saiyan instincts, Trunks was indeed a good warrior in that sense. If he had trained more often, he may have been stronger than Gohan, but that was a big maybe. Luckily, Trunks lacked devotion in that area, and it was just now that he was reaching a new level.

Goten nodded to Trunks, indicating that he wanted Trunks to start. The other Saiyan nodded in return and phased out of sight.

Goten anticipated that, because he knew it was Trunks' favorite move. He waited, trying to sense where Trunks would turn up.

Unforeseen and unexpectedly, Trunks appeared in front of Goten instead of behind him. He threw a punch at Goten's head, which he blocked with his arm.

He felt pain run through his arm after Trunks pulled back his fist. He had blocked Trunks' punches before, but that one stung a bit. He was aware that his friend's strength increased, but he didn't imagine that blocking a punch would hurt as much as it did.

Trunks tossed punches and kicks, which Goten did his best to block. The speed at which Trunks was moving at astounded him, yet he was feeling more excited to fight by the minute. He wasn't sure how to explain it, but he understood why his father loved to fight stronger people and why he found it amusing.

Goten jumped into the air, trying to avoid Trunks' assorted attacks. He needed time to think of what to do, but he knew that it wouldn't help him very much. He looked at Trunks, who was still on the ground, and could tell that there was some excitement building up in the son of Vegeta, even though it wasn't as much as he was feeling. Even high up in the air, Goten could see the look in Trunks' green eyes, and even though his facial features were serious and tough, there was a sense of fun shining through.

Trunks jumped up, flying past Goten, so he was looking down on him. Then he plummeted down towards him, like a speeding missile. Goten placed his hands in front of him and fired a ki attack at the diving Saiyan. He stopped dead in the air, placing his hands in front of his face. The blast connected, and dust rose into the air, covering everything from Goten's sight.

When it cleared, Trunks was still there, in the same position he was before the ki attack connected. Trunks' ki was spread out around him, like a golden fire wrapped around him. He had used his ki to protect himself from Goten's blast.

Goten cursed inwardly. He had to be able to surprise Trunks in order to ever do any damage. With that thought, he phased out of sight.

Trunks lowered his hands, as his ki disappeared. Looking around, he noticed that Goten wasn't there anymore. He closed his eyes, concentrating on Goten's energy pattern.

He turned around suddenly and held up his arm, blocking Goten's foot from connecting with his head. Goten growled softly that his surprise hadn't worked. What was he supposed to do? He knew he didn't have a chance of beating Trunks, but what could he do to actually do some damage to him?

Trunks aimed a punch at Goten's torso. Goten grabbed his fist before it connected, but didn't see Trunks other hand coming towards his face until it was too late. It connected, and Goten let go of his fist and held his face in pain. Trunks went up and used both his hands to hit Goten in the back of the head. Goten flew down rapidly towards the ground, and landed with a big boom. Dust was raised, but settled quickly when nothing moved after.

As the dust cleared, Trunks saw Goten lying on his back in the ground, the Earth slightly dented from the impact of Goten's rough landing. His hair turned back to its normal black, and tilted to the side a little. With that, Trunks flew downwards, reverting back to his normal state as well.

Goten groaned as he attempted to sit up. Now he would be sore for a long time. How exactly did he let Trunks talk into fighting him as a Super Saiyan 2? He knew that he would never beat Trunks, and Trunks knew that as well. Why had he agreed to fight Trunks that way? Why had Trunks insisted even though they both knew how the outcome of the battle would be.

He struggled to his elbow, when he felt something was in his face. Opening his eyes, he saw Trunks offering his hand to help him up.

"That was really good," Trunks said. "But you need to work on your moves a bit."

"What do you mean?" Goten said.

"Your moves are just too predictable. You never do anything new. I was able to guess what you'd be doing before you had a chance to do them. You need to think of new things to do."

Goten felt something inside him bubble. "Well, I wasn't the one who wanted to fight, Trunks."

"I know, but I'm just saying. You know, just in case some other enemy shows up, and we have to fight them. They might be able to screen your moves, then you're doomed."

"Thanks for the tip," Goten spat. He wasn't sure why, but he was feeling a bit angry at Trunks. _He _was the one who wanted to fight. Then he was giving off this information that Goten didn't care for. Criticizing him about how he fought, Goten had a flash of when they were little. That's all Trunks ever did. He would urge Goten to do things he didn't want to do, make fun or criticize him, and often get them both in trouble. It took him all this time to realize it, and he realized he had enough.

Trunks still offered his hand to Goten, but was surprised when Goten slapped it away.

He pulled back, rubbing the back of his hand where Goten had slapped it, even if it didn't hurt. "What'd you do that for?" he asked. "I was only trying to help."

"Yeah, whatever," Goten said, struggling to get up.

"What does that mean?"

"Nothing. I just thought of something, that's all."

"You? Thought of something? That's a first," Trunks teased.

Goten glared at him. "That's what I'm taking about, Trunks."

"What?"

"Ever since we were little, we always had to do everything you wanted to do. Somehow, you always tricked and deceived me into doing something I didn't want to do."

"Goten..."

"Let me finish, Trunks." Trunks looked at his best friend, and saw the seriousness in his eyes. There was something there, something Trunks had never seen in Goten before. He wasn't able to place it, but he knew he had to back off while Goten got this off his chest.

"You always force me into doing something I didn't want to do, or something that was wrong. And even though I would say I didn't want to do it, you would always say something to get me to go along with you. And when I persisted, you would call me names and make fun of me.

"When we trained, you always got the upper hand, and you were always telling me how weak and useless I was. Even now, years and years later, you criticize me even when I'm trying to do me best. You coax me into doing everything _you _want to do, but you never take into consideration what _I _want to do. If I don't do something, I'm teased, and called weak or afraid."

Trunks was astonished. He had no idea Goten had felt this way. They had known each other ever since he could remember, but not once did Goten say anything about something like this. He looked away.

"Well, maybe I am weak and afraid," Goten said, "but you don't have to rub it in my face. You're my friend, Trunks. Or at least, I _thought _you were."

Trunks' attention snapped forward. "Goten, I am your friend. We've been best friends forever, and all those times, I was just joking around..."

"But that's just it, Trunks!" Goten yelled, throwing his hands into the air. "You always joke around with me. You have never really taken me seriously from the first day we met!"

"Goten, you don't have to get all worked up..."

"Maybe I do, Trunks. It's been this way for along time, and I'm tired of it. Friendships are about telling each other how the other one feels, and listening to each other and taking each other seriously. This is how I feel, Trunks, and if you don't want to listen or take me seriously, then..." Goten let it hang there. Even though he had the words clear in his mind, he couldn't get his tongue of voice to do anything.

"Then what, Goten?"

Goten sighed. "...then maybe we shouldn't be friends, anymore."

Trunks pulled back, as though he had been hit in the face. Not be friends anymore? How could Goten say that? Why?

"Goten, look, you're being irrational, and..."

"Am I?" Goten shot back, tears forming in the corner of his eyes. "I'm being truthful, Trunks, something you never are a day in your life."

"That's not true..."

"Oh, don't give me that. When we were little kids, you never admitted when you were afraid or sad about something. I could always tell, though, because I could see it in your eyes when nobody else could."

"Look, maybe I wasn't very honest, but my dad told me..."

"Don't blame it on Vegeta. You always blame things on other people than yourself, Trunks. If you can't be honest with me, then there is nothing that can help our friendship. I try to get you to open yourself up, but you refuse to come out and keep everything under this shell that you've created to keep everything out."

"Maybe I do, Goten. But you could never understand why."

"I might, if you would just talk to me. But you refuse to let anything out, even just a little bit."

Trunks shook his head, then threw his hands up and brought them down again swiftly, his fists clenched tightly. "That's just the way I am, Goten, and a true friend would respect that."

"What would you know?" Goten fired. "You haven't been much of a 'true friend' since the day I knew you."

"You know what?" Trunks said, levitating a few inches in the air, "I don't need to take this. Especially from you. I'm going home."

"Good. And if you know what's good for you, you won't come back. Ever."

"That won't be a problem." Trunks took off into the air, not once looking back at Goten.

Goten felt as though his legs couldn't support him anymore. He fell to the ground, not doing anything but sit there and think about what was said. He sighed, wondering if he had taken the right approach to the situation. He thought that he may have been a little harsh with Trunks. _Then again, _Goten thought, _he never cut me any slack when we were little. Treating me that way, like an inferior rather than a friend. Maybe he deserved what he got. _Yet in his heart, he knew that it wasn't really true, and he felt guilty for what happened.

Goten leaned back a bit, supporting his weight on his hands. As he did, though, something flashed in his eye. He looked, and saw an object glittering in the sun. He got on his hands and knees and crawled over to the object, picking it up as he reached it. It was a heart-shaped locket, and Goten noticed that the clasp for the chain was broken. He fingered it, then noticed that there was writing engraved on the locket. He tilted it away from the sun, to get away from the glare. It read, "_My Dearest Trunks."_

_This is the locket Trunks told me about, _Goten realized fingering the front of it. _This is the locket that Marron had asked to be made for him before she died. _He carefully opened the heart-shaped locket, and saw a picture of Trunks and Marron, with Polo when he was just a few months old.

Goten smiled softly, but then got up and dusted himself off. He closed the locket and placed in his pocket. _What am I gonna do now? _he wondered as he began to walk home. _The argument we had was a bad one, and I doubt Trunks'll be talking to me for awhile. Not like I want to talk to him at the moment, either. But he might wonder where it is, and I don't really want him to worry about it. This is the last thing Marron gave to him before she died, and she didn't even give it to him herself. He went to go get it. But he loves this thing, and I just don't know what to do. _

Goten stopped suddenly, looking back at the spot where he and Trunks had traded verbal thrashings. He felt a chill slowly crawl down his back, as he began to wonder what would happen now. He and Trunks had argued before, he'd be lying if he said they didn't, but this one was a different argument, and Goten began to think it wouldn't be resolved as quickly as the others have. If that were the case, he wondered how it would be without the only person he ever called his best friend...

_TBC_


	5. Confrontation

* * *

Trunks sifted through the drawers as he continued to find the locket Marron had given him. He hadn't realized until then that it was missing, and now he was frantically searching for it. _This has not been a very good past few days, _he thought, dumping the contents of the drawer onto the ground. _First, the argument with Goten, then all the pressure at work, and from Dad, and now I discover my locket is missing. How could I not have noticed it was gone in the first place? I guess I'm really distracted right now. The argument with Goten was such a bad one, and I've never seen Goten so angry like that before._

"Trunks?" He looked up to see Bulma standing at the door of the office in their city home.

"Hi Mom," he said, then went back to searching through the drawers. When he found nothing, he checked the mess on the desk.

Bulma looked at all the papers on the floor. "What are you doing, Trunks?"

"I'm trying to find my locket."

"The one that Marron gave you?"

"Yeah, that's the one. I have no idea where it is."

"When was the last time you saw it?"

"I don't remember. I just noticed it was gone this morning."

Bulma raised her eyebrows in skepticism. "You _just _noticed?" she asked.

Trunks blushed. "Yeah," he said. "It's been a weird few days for me."

"Like how?"

"I'd…rather not talk about it." Trunks nearly jumped when he heard a crash sound. Looking at the other side of the desk, he saw a picture frame had fallen over. He picked it up, and saw that it was a picture of him and Goten. There was a slight jolt in his heart as he remembered the argument, and how Goten had told him that he shouldn't go back there. And he had agreed not to.

Bulma noticed the troubled look on her son's face as he continued to stare at the picture of him and Goten. There was something wrong about him, but she wasn't sure what exactly. There was no point to ask him, either, because she knew how he was, and she knew he would deny anything wrong.

She was surprised when Trunks dropped the picture frame onto the ground, and the glass shattered. He didn't bother to pick it up, but walked around it and continued looking for the locket. He threw some things on top of it, as he began to take the room apart.

Bulma bent down to retrieve the buried picture frame. She gazed at it, and saw Trunks and Goten smiling back at her through the picture. Trunks didn't look that much different now then when the picture was taken eighteen years ago, except he looked a little more mature. With Goten, the only difference between the picture and him now was his hair was shoulder-length then, unlike his hair style now, where his hair was pointing upward in a diagonal angle. She smiled at the picture of the two teens, but didn't understand why Trunks had purposely dropped the picture, unless…

"Trunks?" Bulma said.

"Yeah, Mom?"

"You and Goten aren't fighting, are you?" Trunks froze. He should have expected her to say that, since she was his mother, and mothers, and all women for that matter, ended up knowing exactly what was wrong with you. _How _they find out all the time was beyond any man, Trunks guessed, and assumed that women find out in their own sick, twisted ways. Lying would be no good either, as he knew that Bulma would know and hold an interrogation until he told her the truth. The effort wasn't worth it really, he decided, and it would take too much time if he chose to lie, time which could be used to finding his lost locket.

"I suppose you could say that."

Bulma sighed loudly. "What about?" she asked.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"You just said that a few minutes ago. You've already talked a little about it. Might as well just spill all of it, because you know I'll find out eventually."

_I know you would, _Trunks thought. _It's the only type of power you actually have. _"Goten just got a little angry, and he got me angry, too. It's really nothing to worry about. It's no different than our other arguments."

"There's a lot to worry about when you two are arguing," Bulma said, folding her arms across her chest. "You two are never really yourselves when you guys aren't talking, and you act like such babies."

"That's your point of view about it. Goten and I see it as letting the other cool off for a while."

"I'm not saying you're both wrong, but you two are the only ones who see it that way. Please, you two don't talk when you both get this way, it's pathetic."

"It's how we cool down, Mom. You've never complained about this before."

"You were eight years old, Trunks. That was the last time you and Goten had an argument. You wouldn't have listened to me it I told you to talk to Goten about this thing."

"Then why start now?"

"Because you're older, Trunks. And I thought you would be smarter than that. Too much to hope for, I guess."

"If you knew what the argument was about, maybe you'd understand why we aren't talking. If you knew what was said, then you might understand how angry I am."

"I might understand if you tell me, Trunks. I can't help you if you don't tell me anything."

"Let me put it this way, Mother. Goten and I said things to each other that made both of us angry, and we haven't talked since. Happy now?"

"But what _exactly _did you say? That's what I want to know."

"Please, Mom. Let's just leave it alone, okay?"

Bulma knew that her stubborn son wouldn't talk anymore about it, and would either talk around the subject or just not talk at all. She let the matter drop for now, and left Trunks alone in the room to look for his locket and tear the place down. But she knew that something was upsetting her son, and her motherly instincts told her that she had to find out what exactly was hurting her boy. It was this that she was trying to get out of Trunks, but wasn't able to, as her son was as stubborn as his father was. If she couldn't find out from her son, then she would have to find out some other way.

* * *

"So, Goten told you exactly what happened?" Bulma asked.

Chi Chi shook her head. "Not exactly what happened, but just enough for me to figure things out."

"Lucky you. Trunks doesn't tell me a thing."

"Sometimes it's for the better. There are things that sometimes you just don't want to know."

Bulma nodded, sipping the warm coffee resting in her cup. The two women were sitting at the table in the Son kitchen, were Bulma was hoping to get some of the answers she needed from Chi Chi. She knew Goten talked to her about everything, so Bulma knew that Chi Chi would be able to tell her.

"From what Goten told me," Chi Chi said, placing her cup down on the table, "he and Trunks were training when Trunks went Super Saiyan 2."

"He can do that?" Bulma questioned, not really asking Chi Chi, but herself.

"Obviously so. I believe it happened sometime after Marron's death. You're not aware of it?"

"No, not at all. I told you, that boy doesn't tell me a thing. I bet Vegeta knows somehow."

"Maybe, but Trunks probably didn't tell him. Vegeta might have found out on his own."

"Which is so like him. But Chi Chi, what happened afterwards?"

"Trunks wanted to try out his new power, but Goten didn't want to go up against him because he knew Trunks would beat him. But Trunks insisted, and they fought."

"That's it?"

"Well, no, because Goten was rather angry at Trunks for making him do what he didn't want to do, and he said that he realized that it's been that way for as long as he's known Trunks, so he basically told Trunks to lay off."

"That hurt Trunks' pride, I'm sure. Do you know what happened after that?"

"They argued, and Goten told Trunks to leave, and he left."

"So that's the whole story, huh?"

"Basically. But I suppose Goten had the right to get angry. Trunks is a little bossy, isn't he?"

Bulma looked up, slightly offended by the remark. "Well, he gets it from his father. But at least he can do something with himself."

"What's that supposed to mean, Bulma?"

"Let's just say that Goten takes a lot after _his _father as well."

"Goku may not be the brightest crayon in the box, but he made it up with his strength. Vegeta can't exactly say that he's the strongest warrior on the planet, can he?"

"Maybe not, but his strength and intelligence combined can beat Goku in the long run."

Chi Chi stood up quickly. "Goku has saved this planet many times, ever since we were younger. He was able to defeat the strongest warrior, which included your Vegeta, who was supposed to an 'elite warrior.' Goku may not be able be able to challenge Vegeta in a math contest, but he's smart where it counts. Goku doesn't need to be smart to be pure-hearted, which is more than I can say for Vegeta, who tried to blow up this planet."

It was Bulmer's turn to stand up, knocking her chair down. "Vegeta has changed so much since then, he's different now. He has a family, a wife and two children, who he loves so much."

"Yes, but you two never married, have you?"

Bulma looked down at the ground, clenching her hands into tight fists. Chi Chi bit her tongue, wishing she could take back what she said. Bulma had always wanted a fancy wedding, but Vegeta wanted no part of it, and even though he called Bulma his wife, Bulma had nothing to prove it with.

"It's true," Bulma said suddenly, "that Vegeta and I have never gotten married. But just because we're not married, doesn't mean that Vegeta doesn't love me. If that were the case, Trunks and Bra would not have been born." Bulma looked up, nothing but an angry shine in her eyes. "Vegeta may not show how much he cares for me or Trunks and Bra, not like Goku does, but he doesn't have to, because I can see how much. And that's the only thing that matters."

Bulma walked out of the room, and Chi Chi heard the slam of the door, and the roar of an engine. The sound of a jet taking off echoed through the mountains, and then all was still again.

Chi Chi shook her head, then began to put away the dishes and tea. They had been talking about Trunks and Goten's argument, but she knew that the argument she and Bulma had didn't make anything better. In fact, she felt that it was only a matter of time before everyone was involved with something that Trunks and Goten had meant to keep to themselves. Then, who knows what would happen?

"Goku, where are you?" Chi Chi asked the air. "Nothing like this ever would have happened if you were still around. You would be able to make everything right. Where are you?"

_TBC_


	6. Complications

* * *

Trunks placed everything back in the drawers, unable to find his gold locket. He wasn't sure what happened to it, but it was gone. It just vanished. _What happened to it?_ he wondered.

He heard the opening of the front door, and it slammed just as suddenly. Curious, he opened the office door just enough to see who came in. He saw Bulma lie on the couch, looking frustrated.

"Where does she get off?" Trunks heard his mother yell at nobody. "Where does she get the nerve to say something like that?"

Trunks couldn't contain his curiosity any longer. "Who has the nerve to say what?" he asked.

Bulma jumped at the sound of her son's voice. She stood up quickly, seeing Trunks come out of the office. "What do you mean?"

"Mom, you're not really good at pretending. And I heard you say that. Who were you talking about, and what did she say?"

"Nobody, Trunks. I was talking about nobody." _If he knew who I was talking about, _she thought,_ he'd never forgive me._

Unfortunately, Trunks realized exactly who she was talking about. "Mom, you didn't…" He watched as his mother looked away, rather guiltily. "You did, didn't you?"

"Maybe," was all Bulma said.

"Why did you go over there to talk to Chi Chi? To find out exactly why Goten and I had a fight, right? Because you're too curious to let it drop?"

"I had to find out why, Trunks. Whatever bothers you happens to bother me, too. I just went over there to ask Chi Chi if she knew why you two weren't talking."

"But you had no right to butt into something that wasn't your business. This argument is between me and Goten, and that's all."

"But you two are some of the most stubborn people I know, and knowing you two, it could be weeks before you decide to talk to each other again. At least if I knew why you were fighting, I could try to help knock some sense into you."

Trunks looked down. She knew now, that was it. At least she knew a little bit of it. If he knew Goten, Goten wouldn't have gone into great detail. He would have gotten straight to the point without explaining the whole thing. "So what happened?" he asked. "Did you get the answers you were looking for?"

Bulma sighed. "Got a lot more than that."

"Like what?"

"Let's just say that Chi Chi and I won't be talking very soon in the near future, Trunks." Bulma turned and climbed up the stairs to her room.

Trunks didn't need to wonder what his mom meant. He has used the same phrase before. They had an argument, where both people were angered by the others' words. He was unsure if the argument was similar to his and Goten's, but since both women were as stubborn, if not more stubborn, than there Saiyan husbands, it could be a while until they decided to apologize, if at all.

He sighed. He wasn't sure what to do anymore. Things weren't going to get any easier, Trunks knew that. What was going to happen from there? Like his mother and Goten's, would there whole family get affected by this argument? Trunks had no way of knowing.

* * *

Goten let the door of the small jewelry shop slam behind him. Looking at the little case he held in his hand, he opened it and was hit by the sun reflecting of the gold locket. He had gotten the clasp of the chain fixed, but since he and Trunks weren't really speaking, Goten wondered how he was going to give the locket back.

He sighed loudly, walking down the street. He paid no attention to the other people, or the noises of the city. He wasn't really comfortable in a city, being that he lived his whole life in the mountains. He even had Paris move there after they had gotten married. Goten could never move to the city, but he did have to stop by every once in a while.

Goten turned his attention to a television set in the window. It was a commercial, for a Capsule Corporation product. He continued down the street, not wanting to see what it was selling. He was trying so hard to fight the anger swelling inside him, trying to calm himself down about the whole argument, but it wasn't helping him much. He was angry about the argument that they had, that they were losing many years of a great friendship away because of pride. At the moment, he wasn't sure who he was angrier at, Trunks or himself.

Chi Chi had already told him about what happened between her and Bulma. At first he was angry at them, too, for butting in, but he understood that they just wanted to help. However, when she told Goten about the argument that they had, Goten nearly flipped. What would happen now? If those two had started arguing because of them, how long would it be before other members of the family would start arguing because of the argument that they had?

Goten shook his, trying to clear his mind of such thoughts, but to now avail. He glanced down at the locket, and took it out of its confinement. Throwing the box away, he placed the locket in his pocket, trying to decide the best way of giving it back to Trunks without confronting him.

Looking at his watch, Goten noticed it was almost time to pick up Gozen from school, at Western Capitol City. Problem was, Trunks might be there at the same time he was. Goten sighed. When he and Trunks decided to put there sons in the same school, neither one of them knew that they would have an argument this big. Their sons might decide that they wanted to go to the others' house, but Goten knew that wouldn't happen without the chance of him talking to Trunks, or visa versa. Unsure of what to do, Goten flew off to Western Capitol City to pick Gozen up, only hoping that Trunks wouldn't be there yet.

Goten landed a few blocks away from the school, thinking that maybe he should have found a better place to take off then in the middle of the street, since he was trying to act 'normal', but it didn't matter anymore, so he let it drop. As he walked towards the elementary school, he wasn't sure if he did want to see Trunks or not. Part of him did, maybe try to talk to him, but part of him didn't, afraid that Trunks would still be mad, or that he would say something cruel and nasty. He wasn't sure what to think.

Luckily for him, he didn't see Trunks at all. Goten saw Polo waving to a very familiar woman with blue hair, wearing a red dress, gloves, and shoes. She looked exactly like her mother, Bulma Briefs. Goten sighed. He was a little more relieved that Bra was there instead of Trunks.

Goten made his way over to the entrance of the elementary school, and saw Gozen running up to him. Polo also spotted him, and pointed him out to Bra, who turned around to see him approach.

"Hey Bra," Goten said.

"Hey," she replied.

"What are you doing here?"

"Why do you ask, Goten? Am I not aloud to pick up my nephew?" she asked in a teasing manner.

"Hey, just asking. Where's Trunks?"

"He's stuck in a meeting, so he asked me to pick up Polo from school today. Why?" she asked, her eyes shifting into a serious look. "Were you hoping to see him today?"

"Um…no. Just wondering." He stuffed his hands into his pockets and looked to the ground. Bra looked at him, then looked down too.

Polo and Gozen walked ahead of them, engrossed in some kind of game, so Bra and Goten walked beside each other for a little while. After a heavy silence between them, Bra said, "Goten, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, Bra? What's up?"

"Why are you and Trunks arguing?"

Goten continued to look at the ground, quiet for a moment. Then he said, "Did Trunks tell you we were arguing?"

"No," Bra said, looking at the two boys ahead of them, "but I can tell something's not right with Trunks. He seems a little…down in the dumps. He doesn't say much when I try to ask him, but I know it has something to do with you. I heard Mom and Trunks talking about it, but I wasn't able to hear the whole thing."

"It's not really something I want to talk about at the moment, Bra."

"I just want to know. I know it makes you just as upset as it does with Trunks. I haven't seen him act this way since Marron died."

"Really?" Goten asked, surprised. When Marron died, Trunks was close to an emotional breakdown.

"Well, kind of, yes. But he tries not to show it. He tries to get us to think that there's nothing wrong. No one believes his act, though. Even Polo knows something's up."

"Well, there's nothing anyone can really do about it. Mom and Bulma already tried to help, but they ended up arguing with each other. I think they're still not speaking."

"I might be able to help," Bra said. "I don't want you guys to be arguing anymore. I'm not sure if the families' relationship would survive if you two kept arguing."

Goten looked at her. "What do you mean?" he asked.

Bra shrugged. "I don't know, but you and Trunks were best friends, and if you two are arguing with each other, then each family would have to take sides, wouldn't they? Of course, your family will take your side, while our family would side with Trunks. Even if we didn't want to argue, we would support our family."

Goten looked at Gozen. Was Bra right? Would the argument between him and Trunks affect their families' relationship with each other. It already worked on Bulma and his mom. What if this argument did jeopardize the friendship of the Sons and Briefs? Would Polo and Gozen argue, too? Would they choose their fathers' side, even if it meant not speaking to each other ever again?

"I might be wrong," Bra said, seeing the look on Goten's face, "but then again, I might be right. I mean, I like you Goten, and I like Pan. You two are my friends. But Trunks is my brother. If there would be a time that I would have to choose between him and you…"

"You would choose him?" Goten said. Bra looked down at her feet. Goten nodded. "I understand Bra. I think it's unfair to make our families choose sides, but this argument that Trunks and I have, it won't be resolved so easily."

"So what are you going to do?"

"I don't know Bra. I don't know." They both remained quiet for a minute, then Goten said, "I guess I am kind of still mad at your brother, but, in some way, I'm not. I don't how to explain it. I feel confused, I suppose."

Bra nodded. "I know what you're talking about," she said softly. "It's just as confusing as trying to decide between a friend who has been there all your life, and a brother who always has, and will, be there for you."

Goten looked at her. He felt so guilty about making each family choose between friends and family, because he knew that they would have to choose family over friends, even if those friends are very dear and very precious to them.

They both stopped in front of the Briefs' mansion, Polo and Gozen ending their game. There was silence around them, the traffic noises seemingly light-years away. Then Bra turned away, Polo following close behind her. She pulled out a key, and unlocked the door. Twisting the knob, she slowly opened it.

"Bra," Goten called out. She turned to look at him.

He sighed. "I'm sorry about making you choose like this, and I'll understand with whatever chose you make."

Bra nodded, then turned away. Goten caught a glimpse of a tear in her eye, as she and Polo disappeared inside, and he somehow knew that that would be his last time to see her.

Goten stood there for a moment, then walked on, Gozen right behind him, wondering about what his father had said. Goten knew he was still angry with Trunks, after what Trunks had, and hadn't, done all the years that he knew him. But was the argument really worth losing so much?

_TBC_


	7. What if?

* * *

Pan looked down as she flew over Western Capitol City. She hadn't been there since Marron died, and the funeral, but she knew that it was time to pay a certain someone a visit. She knew that she had to find a way to help her uncle and Trunks stop arguing and become friends again. She didn't like any of this, and she wanted to help. _Then again, _she thought, _I'll have to be careful if I don't want to do the same thing Grandma and Bulma did. I don't want to do anymore damage than what's already been done. _

Pan looked up and saw Capsule Corporation very close by. She knew Trunks would be in his office working, or at least she hoped, considering he could be at a meeting and might be out. But pinpointing the area of his ki, she knew he was in the building.

Deciding to skip talking to his secretary, she flew straight towards Trunks' office window. Taking a peek, she saw the back of a very lavender-haired head.

Pan tapped on the glass, and saw Trunks turn around. Upon seeing her, he got up and opened the window to let her in.

"Hey Pan," Trunks said. "What are you doing here?"

"I just came by to say hi," she lied. She couldn't tell him the real reason she was here. He wouldn't be too happy to know that Pan was just trying to get him and Goten to talk to each other again.

But Trunks didn't seem to believe her. "Right," he said. Then he sat down in his at his desk. "So what's up with you Pan? Anything new happen in life for you?"

"Not really." She sighed. She couldn't pretend at all, so she decided to get to the point. "Trunks, I want you to be honest with me…"

Trunks cut her off. "Sorry Pan, but according to Goten, honesty is something I'm not capable of. This is why you decided to come over, isn't it? To talk to me about my argument with Goten?"

Pan looked down. Trunks nodded, confirming what he needed to know. "Pan, I'm sure you asked your uncle, and I'm sure he told you the same thing that I'm going to tell you now."

Pan looked at him. "What's that?" she asked.

"I'm not in the mood to talk about it."

"Then when are you going to talk about it, Trunks? When are you and Uncle Goten going to tell anyone what happened and why you two aren't speaking to each other?

"When we're ready, Pan. Not any time before that."

"But when are you going to be ready? From what I'm seeing and hearing, you and Uncle Goten are just trying to run from the whole thing. It's not going to go away if you just ignore the problem."

Trunks sighed. "That's easy for you to say, Pan. You're not the one going threw this whole mess."

"Maybe not," Pan said. "But this affects me and everyone else, just as much as it affects you and my uncle."

"I just don't know what to do, Pan. I want to talk to Goten, but I'm afraid to."

Pan looked at Trunks, a little bit surprised by what she heard. Trunks had never said he was afraid of something, ever. He may not have been as pride-driven as Vegeta, but he had enough to never admit he was afraid before, even if he was. This was the first Pan had ever heard those words leave Trunks mouth.

"What?"

"I'm afraid, okay? I'm afraid that if I try to talk to Goten, we might start arguing again, and it would be worse this time, because I'm still mad at him for what he said, and we might say worse things than before. I don't want to do anything at the moment, because I'm afraid it might get worse, like with what happened with Mom and Chi Chi."

"But you keep saying 'might,'" Pan said, "as in you don't know what is bound to happen. If you try talking to Uncle Goten, maybe this time you won't fight."

"But no one knows that, Pan. I don't really want to risk it."

"You have to try, Trunks. I don't like seeing my uncle acting the way he is, and the only way to get him happy again is get him and you talking to each other again. You're his best friend Trunks. You have to do something."

Trunks shook his head. "I don't know if I can, Pan. I want to, but I don't know what to do."

"Come with me back home, to talk to him. We can straighten everything out."

"Goten made it pretty clear that he doesn't want me back there."

"What do you mean?" Pan asked.

Trunks looked down at his desk, and said, "The day we stopped talking to each other, as I was going to take off to leave, Goten said, and I quote, 'if you know what's good for you, you won't come back. Ever.'"

"I'm sure he didn't mean it. He probably just said that because he was angry."

"Still, I don't feel like seeing him. I know I won't be able to keep my anger at bay, and I'll just make him angrier."

"But, Trunks…"

"No, Pan," he said. "I can't, okay?"

Pan nodded. She knew she couldn't force Trunks into doing something he didn't want to do.

"Hey, Pan, let me ask you something."

"What's that?"

"Why are you getting involved?"

"Come on, Trunks. Think about that one for a minute. I'm just trying to help Uncle Goten out. He's family after all."

"Yeah, I see."

"And besides, I'm trying to do you a favor, too."

"That's what I don't get. Why are you trying to help me out? Shouldn't you be siding with Goten?"

"Well, I guess I should. But since what he wants and what you want are basically the same, it's convenient for me to help both of you."

"Okay, I guess."

"But that's not the only reason."

Trunks looked at her. "It's not?"

Pan blushed slightly. "Not really, no."

"May I ask what the other reason is?"

Pan's blush darkened, spreading across her cheeks. "I don't know," she said looking down, "I guess you help people that you care for."

Trunks watched her, noticing the redness on her face. "Care for how, Pan?" he asked, curiously.

"Trunks, don't make me go there. I swore I wouldn't do this…"

"Wouldn't do what, Pan?"

Pan sighed exasperatedly. "None of your business, Trunks."

"Come on Pan. You can tell me. You asked me to honest with you, and I was. Now it's your turn."

"It doesn't matter now. You already married Marron, so…"

"What's this have to do with Marron?"

Pan sighed. "Forget it Trunks. Just drop it."

"This doesn't have anything to do with the crush you used to have on me, does it?"

Pan looked up, startled. "You knew?" she asked.

"Knew? Of course I knew. Everybody knew. You may not have shown it, but everybody could tell."

"Well, there goes my secret. But yes, I'm also helping you out because I used to like you. Satisfied?"

Trunks looked at her, then looked out the window. "Pan, I appreciate all your help, but this argument between me and Goten, has to stay between me and Goten."

"But Trunks, you don't understand! This argument with Uncle Goten will not just stay between the two of you. It will affect everyone else too. Just like it did with Grandma and Bulma. Don't you see? You may think that this won't affect us, and the whole thing will blow over, but you're wrong. Just seeing you two this way makes us feel just as bad, and this won't go away until you decide to do something."

Trunks looked at her, then looked away. Pan sighed.

"Fine Trunks. You can be that way. But I hope you and Uncle Goten realize exactly what you're doing." Trunks felt a rise in Pan's ki as she sped out the window and away, back home, or wherever she needed to be. He knew the consequences of his actions, but he wasn't sure what to do about them. He just didn't know what to do anymore.

Why did things have to be this way? And why did everyone have to get involved? Like ripples in the water, what started out as one fight between two people was spreading out to people who they cared for, and didn't want to be affected by this whole disaster. But what could be done now?

Trunks knew that there was no way to turn back the clock and change what's been done, but he wished he could. That would take him all the way back to when he was a child, though, because Goten was angry for what he had done as a child, and just realized it now.

It was too late to change his ways now, but as they have learned before, it wasn't too late to change the future. But what would their future turn out to look like if they never made up? If they never apologized, what would happen?

_TBC_


	8. The Final Straw

* * *

Goten watched as his son, Gozen, was training with his niece, Pan. She just got back from somewhere two hours ago, but she was still as angry as when she had arrived. Goten had no idea where she had gone, but she was training with Gozen just to blow off some steam.

He had a suspicion as to where she had gone, however. By the look on her face, Goten had to guess that Pan had gone to Capsule Corporation to talk to Trunks. He sighed loudly. Another person trying to get involved with this argument. Couldn't everyone just leave this business to him and Trunks and stay out of it? He chuckled as he told himself the answer. He knew they wouldn't. Or that they couldn't. They had to get involved, as always.

They were just trying to help, but they were just making things a little harder for everyone. They were just making each other uncomfortable. Goten knew that there was no more anything could do to make the situation worse. If Gohan decided to get involved, and maybe talk to Vegeta, Vegeta would be stubborn and hardheaded as always, and Gohan and Vegeta would argue, then that would be that. It didn't matter what those two would say now, because they, of course, would stick with the side of their families. Gohan would support him, while Vegeta, in his own way, would support Trunks, and it would end in the way it has before: they would stop talking to each other. That's how it was working now.

Goten looked back out the window. He watched as Gozen tried to block a punch at his face, but missed Pan's foot, and got kicked in his ribs. Goten felt himself clench his fists, and he remembered that Polo and Gozen were still friends. But Goten had already made a decision, and he felt guilty about it, but he had to do this. It was the only thing he could do for now, until he and Trunks made up, if ever.

Goten slowly turned the doorknob and swung the door open. He watched as Pan helped Gozen up from under a tree that they had knocked down. Then he called to his son, "Gozen."

Gozen and Pan looked up. "Yeah Dad?" Gozen answered.

"Come here, son."

Gozen looked at his cousin, who just shrugged, and walked over to his father. "What's up?" he asked curiously.

"Gozen, I need to tell you something…"

* * *

"You're what!" Polo nearly shouted. Other kids stopped playing and turned to see what was interrupting their recess, but Polo didn't pay any attention to them. He was focused on his friend, trying to pretend that he didn't hear what Gozen had said.

"It's true," Gozen said sadly. "Dad said that I won't be going to school here anymore."

"But why?" Polo asked.

"I dunno. I think it has something to do with the arguing our families have been doing or something. But he just said that I won't be going to school here, and that today is the last day I get to go here."

"Today? Why? Isn't it a little late to transfer?"

"That's what I thought, but he said he had talked to the principal of my new school, and they said it was alright."

"What school are you going to?"

"Some school in Satan City. I don't know."

"That's not fair! Why did he do that?"

"He didn't say. But I think it's because my dad and your dad aren't talking anymore."

"So? Just because they're not friends, doesn't mean they should try to stop us from being friends. It's not fair."

"I know, but what can we do 'bout it? My dad has already made the decision, and I know your dad won't do anything about it."

"We've got to try something."

"My dad said that he did this for my own good. I don't see how, but that's what he said. He said that he was trying to keep me from getting hurt."

"How?"

"He said that Uncle Trunks wasn't really a good friend, and he said that you might be the same way."

Polo drew back, as though he had been hit. Hadn't his dad and Uncle Goten been best friends since they were around his age? How could Uncle Goten say something like that? He didn't know exactly what they had said when they stopped talking with each other, but did it have something to do with what Gozen had just said?

"I thought that they were best friends," Polo said thoughtfully, more to himself than to Gozen.

"That's what I thought, but Dad said that Uncle Trunks was always telling him what to do and making fun of him and stuff. Then he said that you might be the same way and that he wants me to go to the other school."

Polo clenched his fists. He didn't want to believe those things about his dad. They weren't true, were they?

Gozen looked at his friend, a little worried. Goten had told him not to tell Polo all these things, but Gozen thought Polo should know. But now, maybe it was a bad idea. "Polo? Are you okay?"

"Those things aren't true. My dad isn't like that."

"That's what my dad told me…"

"Your dad is wrong! My dad isn't like that. He isn't."

"What if my dad isn't wrong though? What if Uncle Trunks was like that?"

Polo felt the blood rising to his face. Was this what his dad and Uncle Goten had argued about? Was this how they both felt as the shouted and yelled at each other? What did they do after that? They stopped talking. Polo wasn't ready to stop talking yet. No one could talk about his father like that. He knew they were wrong. If his dad had been like that, why had Uncle Goten stayed friends with Trunks for as long as they had? No, they had to be wrong. No one could talk about his dad like that. No one.

* * *

Goten walked down the hallways with a quick pace. After getting that call from the principal telling him to come down, and why, he had no choice but to pick Gozen up from school. He was told that he and Polo were spending their recess time in different rooms, to think about what they did. He still couldn't believe that Gozen and Polo had physically fought on school grounds. What were they trying to do?

He found the classroom were Gozen was sitting in. His arms were placed on the desk, acting as a pillow for his head. Goten noticed that his clothes were a bit torn. Goten sighed as he walked in and knelt down by his son.

"Gozen?" Goten said gently.

Gozen turned to look at his father, his head still resting on his arms. Goten noticed a small black ring forming around Gozen's left eye.

"Hi, Dad," Gozen said sadly.

"Hey. What happened?"

Gozen sat up and looked down at his feet. "I told Polo that today was my last day to come to this school."

"Yeah?"

"And he wanted to know why. So I told him all the things you told me about Uncle Trunks."

"Didn't I tell you not to tell him any of that?"

"Yeah, but he has a right to know why the two of you aren't talking. He got angry and said stuff, and then we started fighting."

Goten sighed. "Gozen, I asked you not to tell him any of those things because I knew he would get made. Polo is like Trunks at that age, and Trunks would kill anyone who said bad things about his father. Who punched who first?"

Gozen looked down guiltily. "I did," he admitted.

"Really? Well, we'll have to talk about this when we get home. Come on, let's go." Gozen got to his feet and Goten took his hand as they walked down the hallway and out the front door. They ducked into a nearby alley and, with Gozen in his arms, Goten flew off towards the mountains.

"So why did you punch Polo?" Goten asked.

"He said something that made me kinda angry."

"What did he say?"

"He started saying bad stuff about you."

Goten looked at the boy in his arms. "He did?"

"Yeah. I think he said those things only because of what you said about Uncle Trunks, but it still made me mad. I couldn't help it. I felt something snapped and I punched him before I realized it. Then he punched me back, and it was like when we train together, except we didn't care if the other one got hurt this time. We kept going at it until the principal and some other teachers broke us up and placed us in different rooms. Then the principal told us that he would call our parents and tell them to come pick us up."

Goten stared down at the passing city. So the boys had fought because they thought that their father was the right one. Was there a right one at this point anymore? Trunks may have bossed him around when they were little, and made fun of him, and never really took him seriously, but was he right to say those things and tell Trunks never come back? They had fought to defend over something that happened when they were little, but the boys had fought for their fathers. They had gotten involved and lost their friendship all because of the mistake that he and Trunks had made. Now what was going to happen? Was there any hope left for the Sons and Briefs?

* * *

Polo nervously glanced at his father. Trunks had a stern scowl on his face as he drove. Polo looked down, then wiped the blood from his cut lip. As Gozen was, Polo had some scratches and his clothes were torn up, but he wasn't bleeding, except for his lip. Polo was just glad that the teachers had stopped him and Gozen before they had gotten really angry and started using energy attacks.

Polo looked up at his father again, but Trunks didn't regard his son. Polo couldn't stand how quiet it was, even with the traffic noises outside, and the tension was thickly packed in the car, as difficult to breathe through as smoke. "Dad?" Polo asked. "You're really angry, huh?" It wasn't the best thing to say, but it was the only thing Polo could think of at the time.

Trunks inhaled, trying not to lose his temper. "Well, Polo. I don't know. You and Gozen were fighting in school, the teachers had to place you in different classrooms, and the principal had to call me, in the middle of a meeting, and told me that you had to be taken home, and that you're suspended for a few days next week."

"I'm sorry Dad, but he hit me first."

"It doesn't matter who hit who first, Polo. You should have known not to hit him back. I know I have taught you better than that."

"He deserved it," Polo muttered under his breath.

"What is with you, Polo?" Trunks asked, surprised at what his son had said. "Why are you acting like this?"

"It was his fault. Or Uncle Goten's. I don't know. I just got really mad at him."

"What does this have to do with Goten?"

"Uncle Goten is taking Gozen out of that school, and transferring him to a school in Satan City."

"Really?" Trunks asked, not really asking for an answer.

"Yeah. And when I asked if Gozen knew why, he said that it had something to do with you."

"With me?"

"Yeah, 'cause Uncle Goten said that you used to boss him around, make fun of him and that you were really mean or something."

Trunks continued to look forward, but he wasn't seeing anything out there. He looked right past the cars, buildings, street lights, and just stared at the sky.

"I got really angry at what he said, but before I could stop myself, I started saying things about Uncle Goten. Then Gozen punched me, and we started fighting.

"I'm really sorry, Dad, but I couldn't take Gozen saying those things about you, even if he was my friend."

"Was?"

"We aren't talking anymore, just like you and Uncle Goten. I know it's not the right thing to do, but I don't want to hear them talk about you like that. It's not true." Polo looked up at Trunks. "Is it? Is it true?"

Trunks looked at Polo, then back at the road. He knew it really was true, but his pride would never let him admit it to anyone. He wanted to say no, and that Goten was simply overreacting, but it was true.

Polo looked out the window. "I don't care if those things are true. They had no right to talk about you like that. Gozen deserved what he got." Out of the corner of his eyes, Trunks saw Polo rub his tears out of his eyes with the back of his hand.

Trunks felt a tear try and force its way out. He blinked, holding it back in. That was it then. Polo and Gozen were no longer friends. The Sons and the Briefs' bond had worn out. Trunks knew Vegeta wouldn't do anything about it, and Gohan would take Goten's side, of course. There was nothing left to do. Trunks knew that he had to be the one to apologize, but he's never had to get so personal before, and he didn't know how to start. As he had told Pan, he was afraid that trying to apologize would only bring more anger between them. But if he didn't try, what would become of their friendship?

Was this the end of the friendship of the Sons and the Briefs? Would they ever talk to each other again?

_TBC_


	9. 82 years later

* * *

Trunks watched his great-grandson, Vegeta Jr., as he trained. He felt a smile form on his lips as he watched the Vegeta copy trying his best to go Super Saiyan. It reminded him of the determination of his father, and how he was always trying to be stronger than Goku, even though that never really happened.

"I think you still have a while to go before you can transform, Vegeta," Trunks told the small boy.

Vegeta Jr. looked at his great-grandfather, then powered down. "How long do you think it'll be before I can transform?" he asked, sounding like a younger Vegeta.

"I'm not sure. But I think you're getting pretty close. If you train enough, you'll be able to do it soon."

Vegeta Jr. nodded. "How long was it before you turned Super Saiyan, grandpa?"

"I was able to do it when I was about your age."

Vegeta Jr. laughed. "That was a long time ago, wasn't it?"

Trunks simply smiled. "A very long time ago." Many years have passed since then, and many things have happened during that time. Some things were good, some were bad, and some were just strange. The worst thing that happened to him, though, was the day that the Sons and the Briefs had stopped communication with each other. It had started with an argument between him and Goten, and ended with death of a long friendship. Eighty-two years later, Trunks still remembered the whole argument, and regretted it just as much since then.

Vegeta Jr. noticed the look in his great-grandfather's eyes. "What's wrong, Grandpa?" he asked. Trunks looked at him. Despite how much the little boy acted and sounded like Trunks' father, he showed more compassion than the original Vegeta ever could.

"Nothing," Trunks said lamely. "You should get ready for school now." Vegeta Jr. nodded, then ran out of the training room and upstairs. Trunks walked towards the kitchen, and pulled out a bottle of water from the fridge. _Today is going to be a long day, _Trunks thought. _Everyone has a place to be but me. _So what was there to do today?

Vegeta Jr. ran down the stairs, grabbed a brown paper bag off the table, and ran out the front door, just in time to catch the school bus. Even if the young boy could fly, Trunks and the rest of the family preferred to keep things as confidential as possible.

Trunks looked at the big mansion, which was totally empty, as always. He had been in this mansion ever since he was born, and decided not to move out, because his mother had left it for him in her will anyway, so there was no point to move. Bra, on the other hand, since the mansion wasn't left for her, decided she needed a change and moved out of the mansion as soon as she could.

Polo had also decided to continue staying in the mansion, even after his marriage, because he didn't want to leave his father by himself. Two of Polo's children decided to move out, but his only daughter and her son, Vegeta Jr., lived in the mansion with Polo and Trunks. Vegeta Jr.'s father and mother were divorced, because his father couldn't cope with his mother. So Vegeta Jr.'s mother was at Capsule Corporation, being president, Polo was there as chairman, and Vegeta Jr. was at school. Trunks had the entire mansion to himself, but had no idea what to do.

Trunks sat down on the couch in the living room, placing his hands behind his head. He glanced to the side of the couch, noticing the phone resting on the table. He continued to look at it, his hands resting on either side of his body. Slowly, he took the receiver off the cradle, and his fingers dialed a familiar number. He did it slowly, probably rusty from time, but familiar none the less.

He placed the receiver on his ear, and before he realized what he was doing, the phone on the other end began to ring. He had begun to do what took him eighty-two years to try, but he wasn't sure if he could follow through with it. Before he could hang-up, however, he heard the click of someone picking up the phone on the other end.

"Hello?" Trunks heard a voice say.

"May I please speak to Son Goten?" he asked, wondering if anyone was there besides Goten.

"Speaking." Trunks let out his breath that he didn't realize he was holding. "May I ask who's calling?"

Trunks swallowed. It's now or never. "This is Trunks."

There was silence on the other end. Trunks wasn't sure what to make of it. If they had met in person, he could look at Goten's expression. But on the phone, it was harder to tell.

Trunks then heard Goten clear his throat. "What's up?" Goten asked, though not as nice and cheerful as Trunks could remember it to be.

"Nothing much. Probably wondered why I called, huh?" Trunks had never really planned what to say to Goten if he had finally found the courage to call.

"Thought did cross my mind. Did you want something? Or did you forget to say something those years ago and just realized now and wanted to tell me?"

Trunks could hear the anger in Goten's voice, which was very clear, but there was a bit of sadness, also, as if Goten was afraid he would say something nasty.

"If you're going to be silent through this whole conversation," Goten said coldly, "I might as well hang up now."

"Wait!" Trunks said.

"What?"

"I wouldn't hang up just yet."

"Why not?"

"It took me a long time to build up enough courage to call you, Goten. If you hang up now, I don't think I can find the courage to do it again."

Goten stayed silent. Did that mean that Trunks was scared to call in the first place? He wasn't sure. But he decided to let Trunks talk.

"I just called to…" Trunks swallowed again. He wasn't really used to this. When they argued as little kids, the argument just kind of was forgotten. This was hard, and it kind of hurt his pride at the same time.

"Called to what?" Goten asked.

"To…apologize." Goten almost dropped the phone. Did Trunks actually say that? Did he mean it?

"You were right," Trunks continued. "I never really treated you as a friend. I did force you to do things, make fun of you, and never really taken you seriously. It wasn't nice, and it wasn't right."

Goten wasn't sure what to say. Even if it had taken eighty-two years to say, Trunks was apologizing for what he had done when they were kids. It was kind of hard to believe.

"And you were right, saying that I try to blame others instead of trying to blame myself. I was always looking for a way out without taking the consequences of what I did."

"Well, what I said wasn't entirely true," Goten piped up. "After Marron died, all you did was blame yourself, even if it wasn't your fault."

"Maybe," Trunks said, "but I don't think that counts, because it really wasn't my fault. But it was my fault that you felt the way you did, because I treated you as if you were more of a lackey than a friend, and I'm sorry."

"Well," Goten said, "maybe I should apologize too."

"Why?"

"I never really used to think that until the day that we were training in the woods, and you wanted to fight as a Super Saiyan level two. I did agree to fight with you after all, just like I agreed with all the things that you wanted to do. I guess by agreeing to do all those things with you, you got the impression that I wanted to do all those things too, because I never told you how I really felt about them."

"Maybe, but it still wasn't right of me to force you to do those things. And that's no excuse to make fun of you and never take you seriously."

They were both silent for a moment, then Goten said, "So where do we go from here?"

"It's been a long time, hasn't it? Why don't we meet up again and go somewhere, like old times?"

"Just like that? After not talking for so long, we suddenly meet up again?"

"Well, because we haven't talked for so long, there's a lot to catch up on, and it would be better to do it in person."

"I guess. That would be cool."

"How about tomorrow?"

"Kinda soon, huh?"

"Why not? I got nothing better to do tomorrow."

"What about today?"

Trunks laughed. "Oh, and _you're_ not thinking too soon? I have to be somewhere later, so I can't."

"I guess tomorrow is okay."

"Fine. What time?"

"9:00, maybe? I'll go over to your place and meet you there?"

"That's cool with me."

"Okay, then. See ya tomorrow, I guess."

"Yeah, see ya tomorrow, Goten."

* * *

Goten finished his breakfast and proceeded in washing the plate. After drying them off, he looked at his watch and noticed that he had only half an hour until he needed to meet Trunks. _After all this time, we finally get to see each other again._ It had taken a while, but Goten felt things were going to be alright now. Goten played with the chain and locket around his neck. _And I can finally give this back to Trunks, _he thought.

Goten walked to the front door, but noticed that the answering machine light was glowing. He pressed the button to hear the message.

"Hey Goten," the voice on the machine said, "this is Trunks. I know we were supposed to meet this morning, but it seems I can't make it."

Goten heard a loud, and somewhat painful, cough on the other end. Was that really Trunks?

"Sorry about that," the voice said. "Anyway, I can't make it because I'm in the hospital. I…uh…collapsed this morning, and they rushed me here." Trunks mumbled something that Goten couldn't make out. "So listen, I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to take a rain check, because the doctors won't let me out. Maybe some other time, huh?"

There was a click, and the tape for the machine stopped rolling. _The hospital? _Goten wondered. _Why is Trunks in the hospital? _He knew there was only one way to find out. After locking up the door (even though he knew probably no one steal anything from his house anyway), he took off towards the direction of Western Capitol City.

* * *

Goten found his way through the familiar hospital. It was the same place that Marron had died in, but he had to ask where Trunks' room was. After searching for a while, he came across the room that the receptionist had given him. He opened the door and walked in.

Goten looked around. As he walked in, he noticed Trunks lying on the bed. He saw that Trunks looked pretty much the same as he had eighty-two years ago, except his face seemed a little more mature, with some wrinkles here and there. His hair was a whitish-lavender color, but still parted down the middle. Two strands were dangling in front of his face, as always.

Suddenly, he sneezed. Trunks opened one eye, and upon seeing Goten, opened the other. Goten still looked the same, with slight wrinkles across his face. His black hair still stood on end, tilting to the side a bit, as it had before.

"Hey," Trunks said, rather weakly.

"Hi," Goten said. "What's up?"

"Nothing much. Besides being here, anyway."

"Why are you here, Trunks? What happened?"

"I told you, I collapsed. You got my message, didn't you?"

"Of course I did, Trunks. That's why I'm here. But how? What happened to you?"

Trunks sighed, and sat up. He looked down at his hands. "You know how Mom used to smoke, right?"

"Yeah. She smoked a lot, didn't she?"

"Yup. She smoked at home and at work. I was around with her constantly. Eventually, she died because of all the smoke. Her lungs gave in. But later they found out that I was having problems too. I was having difficult time breathing, and the training I did just put some strain on it. We didn't realize it until some time later, I think after dad died, that I was having problems with my lungs, too."

"But how?" Goten questioned.

"Since I was around Mom, I inhaled a lot of smoke from her cigarettes. Dad didn't have that problem, because he was training a lot, and he wasn't subjected to the smoke all his life like I was. Bra has some of the same problems that I do, but not as much because she never had to go to work with Mom."

"So what now?"

Trunks looked at Goten. "I have to tell you. The reason I finally was able to call you was because I knew I had to set everything right before…"

"Before what, Trunks?" Goten asked, unsure he wanted to hear the answer.

Trunks looked down at his hands again. "My dad used to tell me that everyone can sense when their time is near…" he said.

"Don't say that Trunks."

"I felt that my time was close, so I knew I had to call you and apologize before I leave. I just didn't realize how close it was."

Goten shook his head. "Trunks, don't. You can't be…"

"I know I am Goten. And I'm sorry, but there's no helping it."

"But this is unfair!" Goten cried, tears begin to flow down his cheeks. "After all these years, we finally become friends again, and then this happens."

"I know it's not fair, Goten, but there's really nothing we can do about it. I'm sure we'll be able to keep our bodies when we die, just like you dad did when he died, and we'll have all eternity to be friends."

Goten nodded, wiping the tears with the back of his hands. "It's still not fair, though," he mumbled.

Trunks nodded. "I know. But what can we do?"

Goten looked down at the floor, then looked for the clasp for the chain around his neck. He unhooked the chain, and presented the gold locket to Trunks.

"What's this?" Trunks asked, taking it from Goten.

"It's yours, actually," Goten said, rubbing the back of his head. "I found it after you left the day of our argument, and it was broken. I got it fixed, but I never found the courage to face you, so I kept it until now."

Trunks smiled, fingering the words on the locket. "Thanks Goten," he said, putting on the locket. Goten smiled too. He felt a lot better now that he had given the locket back to Trunks.

Suddenly, Trunks brought his hand to his chest, bending over in what seemed like pain. He cried out, causing Goten to jump back a bit.

"What's wrong?" Goten asked, beginning to panic.

Trunks wiped the sweat off his forehead, but more kept coming. "I forgot to tell you something," Trunks said, forcing the words through the pain, "that unlike Mom, who had died because of her lungs, my problem is more with my heart."

Goten watched as his best friend writhed in agony, clutching his heart. He could only watch as his best friend tried to fight the pain, but was unsuccessful.

_TBC_


	10. Epilogue

* * *

Goten watched as the coffin was finally buried. Trunks' grave was right next to Marron's, which Goten knew was what Trunks wanted. It has been a few weeks after Trunks died in the hospital. He was the only member of his family there, because he decided not to talk to his family about it. He was farther away then the other mourners were, because he was trying to avoid Trunks' family. He wanted to comfort them, but he was still trying to comfort himself.

He watched as everyone began to leave the cemetery. He caught sight of Polo, but Polo didn't notice him at all. As soon as everyone left, he walked over to Trunks' grave. He looked at it, then at the mounds of flowers lying in front of it. There was a variety of flowers, and in a great amount. Goten, holding a lavender blossom, placed the lone flower on top of all the others.

He sighed sadly, as a breeze picked up and ruffled his hair. Goten knew Trunks would be able to see Marron again, after all these years, and that Trunks would be happy. Hopefully, though, Trunks wouldn't be too happy to forget about his friend who was still on earth.

Goten placed his hand on the tombstone and closed his eyes. He felt a Trunks' presence there, and he felt something inside himself. It was a happy feeling, and he knew that he and Trunks would see each other again soon.

Trunks had told him that people could sometimes sense when they were going to die, and Goten had a feeling that it would be his time soon. He used to be afraid of the day that his time would come, but now, he felt at peace and calm about the fact he was going to die. He didn't mind it at all.

"So you better wait for me, Trunks," Goten called to the sky. "You better wait for me until I get there."

He looked at the grave again, a smile on his face. "Goodbye for now, Trunks. I'll meet up with you there. But for now, goodbye."

**The End**


End file.
